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My family is not good enough for the BSA
Mary Anne — (archived)

We are agnostics and atheists.

It doesn't matter whether we are good people or not, although I suppose they will accept our money, which after all has "In God We Trust" written on it and must therefore burn the tips of our fingers when we touch it.

My son was a Scout for a while. He was recruited at school, during class time. He eventually figured out that he had to lie -- and violate the BSA code of ethics -- about his religious beliefs in order to stay a member. Given the choice between hypocrisy and exclusion, he chose exclusion. He was in the 4th grade, and came to this conclusion all by himself with no coaching, so it seems that the implications of the BSA's religious policy don't escape young minds. I think he showed a lot of courage and integrity for a 9-year-old, just like a Boy Scout is supposed to, except, well, he was the wrong flavor.

You better believe I will raise hell if the BSA tries to recruit in the public school during class time anywhere in my hearing ever again.

The "don't ask, don't tell" aspect of current BSA practice as regards sexual orientation has a similar flavor of deception. Does the handbook actually say that a celibate, openly homosexual individual can be a member of the BSA? If the basis of the moral code is celibacy outside of marriage, then an openly gay man who is not sexually active would be an acceptable member, and a straight man who is living with his girlfriend would not be. Somehow, though, I don't think the BSA would see it that way. (Please correct me if I'm wrong.) What the policy teaches, to those unfortunate enough to belong to the "out" groups, is how to lie effectively if they wish to be "in".

If a boy has to join through a different religious charter because his religion's beliefs bother the BSA, that in essence is requiring him to affiliate with a religion that is not his own to make the BSA happy. That stinks.

Sorry, Steve, I can't support the BSA, even as much as I like the boys. The policies are shortsighted and discriminatory. The leadership has a perfect right to have these policies and I have a perfect right to despise them. They teach lessons, all right, but not the lessons one might think.

Regards--
Mary Anne

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